7/27/2019 Using Music in the ESL Classroom _ EnglishClub
1/2
Using Music in the ESL Classroom (EnglishClub.com)
Music is the universal language of mankind.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
When students make a major breakthrough in learning, it is music
to a teacher's ears. There is nothing more rewarding for a
teacher, than seeing their students s mile and laugh while they
learn. The same can be said for students . Students who aretaught
in a fun and creative way, love coming to class . Using music in
the classroom is a great way for teachers to achieve
success with L2 learners. Oliver Wendall Holmes s ugges ts
taking a musical bath once a week, saying that music is " to
the
soul what water is to the body."
Benefits of using Music
Have you ever heard of anyone who doesn't like music? Some
people may not like art, dancing, reading, or movies, but
almost everyone likes one kind of music or another. Most people
like many different kinds of music. Studies have shown
that music...
improves concentration
improves memory
brings a s ense of community to a group
motivates learning
relaxes people who are overwhelmed or stressed
makes learning fun
helps people absorb material
"Music stabilizes mental, physical and emotional rhythms to atta
in a state of deep concentration and focus in which
large amounts of content information can be processed and
learned."Chris Brewer, Mus ic and Learning
Techniques for Using Music with L2 Learners
There are a variety of different ways to use music in the
classroom. Some teachers prefer to use background music and
others use music lyrics as the basis of a lesson. Music can be
used to:
introduce a new theme or topic (Christmas/colours/feelings)
break the ice in a class where s tudents don't know each other
or are having difficulty communicating
change the mood (liven things up or calm things down)
teach and build vocabulary and idioms
review material (background music improves memory)
teach pronunciation and intonation
teach songs and rhymes about difficult grammar and s pelling
rules that need to be memorized ("i before e",
irregular verbs, phrasal verbs)
teach reading comprehensioninspire a class discussion
teach listening for details and gist
"Music is the universal language of mankind."Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
Suggested Activities
Many teachers try using music once in the class, but forget to
do it again. It might take a few times before you and your
class get used to hearing music while learning. If you can
commit to us ing music once a week, you may soon see the
benefits, and realize that you want to do it more often and in a
variety of ways . Here are 10 activities for you to try:
1. Use background music such as class ical, Celtic music or
natural sounds to inspire creativity2. Teach your national
anthem
3. Teach a song that uses s lang express ions ("I heard it
through the Grape Vine")
4. Teach a song that uses a new tense you have introduced
5. Add variety to your reading comprehension less on. Students
can read lyrics and search for main idea, theme,
